“Welcome to the tropics, where the weather isn’t the only thing that’s HOT!!”

That’s the introduction you’ll find on the website of C.F. Francis, an up and coming author of steamy, suspenseful romance. And judging by the reviews for her first two novels, her latest book, Explosive Touch, is bound to be a must-read.

Ms. Francis is a native Floridian, who loves mystery, suspense and a romance. Her novels include all three and are set primarily in beautiful Southwest Florida.  The stories tell the tales of a team of Special Forces men who get into as much trouble off the field as they do during deployment.

I had the pleasure of talking with her recently to get the scoop on her latest release and find out what she has planned for the future.

Hello and welcome! First, let’s talk about setting. What was it about Southwest Florida that drew your interest as a setting for your books?

I live in Southwest Florida and it is beautiful.  Unless you’re setting is a fantasy universe, I think a writer should stick to settings they know and being a native Floridian, I know Florida.  And who doesn’t like the tropics?

And how do you come up with your storylines? Can the books in your series be read as standalones, or is it better to read them in sequence?

The James Gang series are intended to be stand-alone books.  They may refer to a character or plot line from another story but it isn’t necessary to know that story to read the one your in.  As for storylines, I work them out in my head.  I’ve been thinking about joining, or putting together, a “plotting group”.  Maybe I wouldn’t bang my head against the wall so often if I had a little help in winding my way through plots.

Did you do a lot of research for your books?

The amount of research depends on the subject but I’m always checking things as I want the “facts” to be correct.  My last story had a satellite phone in it.  I knew nothing about them.  Now I know more than I’ll ever need.  And it had bombs in it.  The FBI should be knocking on my door any time now!  The stories revolve around a Special Forces team and I am very fortunate a former Special Forces member is a friend.  He is always willing to help me work out ideas or tell me if I’m going in the wrong direction.  His wife was in the Army and with another friend who was an Army Intelligence captain, so I have some pretty good sources. 

Do you have any other books planned?

I’m working on a general outline for #4.  I’m normally a “panster” (I write by the seat of my pants) but wanted a little bit more of an idea of where I was going this time.  We’ll see if I stick with it.

Will you be making any public appearances?

I do book signings during “season” here in Southwest Florida.  If you’re interested, check my Facebook page.  As soon as I have copies of Explosive Touch in hand, I’ll be scheduling some.  I’m also planning on attending Heather Graham’s Writers for New Orleans Labor Day weekend.

What do you like most about being an author?

Creating characters I like to spend time with.  I’ve also found I like creating mysteries as much as I like reading and solving them.

Thanks for filling us in on your books and your world, C.F.! I can’t wait to read the next book.

Here’s the info on Explosive Touch, and the buy links:

Bombings, worlds apart, throw two survivors together. Troy, a mental wreck and physically damaged due to his last tour as a Special Ops soldier, is asked to protect Shayne from an unknown enemy. Is he up to the task? Can he keep his emotional distance from a woman who has become all too important to him?

Shayne Peterson cheated death when she survived a bombing at a Tampa country club. Still, she fights a nightly battle against the terror of being trapped under the rubble and her inability to identify the man who left the deadly package. After a move to Sanibel Island, she finds herself surrounded by former Green Berets. She feels safe—until it becomes obvious that she’s not.

A suicide bomber in an Afghani marketplace left Troy McKenzie, Special Forces soldier and former ladies’ man, disfigured. He should have died that day—punishment for his arrogance and misplaced trust. Unable to get past the memories and the boy he couldn’t save, Troy returns to Sanibel, seeking the support of his former brothers-in-arms.

Soon Shayne and Troy are battling their unexpected, and ill-timed, attraction to one another while staying one step ahead of a killer.

Amazon-  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N687LCT

B & N-   https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/explosive-touch-c-f-francis/1130407022?ean=2940156282142

iBooks -  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/explosive-touch/id1450778610?mt=11

Kobo-   https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/explosive-touch

And if you’d like to follow C.F. Francis, here’s the links:

Website:  http://www.cffrancis.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Francis_Sanibel

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cffrancisauthor/?eid=ARAZFu_6rVA0iOdTwyDJTbS6Wzz1bwHG6XeeZSvWJlcO6ILNZwvkVZem4DTT82q3WLiUqOx3PG6-bBMO